The invention pertains to a method for detecting a magnetic disturber (or disturbing element) of the magnetic field emitted by an emitter of an at least triaxial magnetic field. The invention also relates to a method and a system for localizing an object and to a medium for recording information to implement these methods.
A magnetic disturber is defined herein as being any object that degrades or deforms the field lines of a magnetic field emitted in proximity. For example, the disturber may be a conductive part. In this case, the degradation of the magnetic field lines is caused by the appearance of eddy currents in the conductive part. The conductive part may be for example a metal part. The disturber may also be a magnetic part such as a paramagnetic or ferromagnetic part.
A triaxial magnetic field emitter emits a magnetic field along three emission axes that are mutually non-collinear. For example, such an emitter is formed by several aligned uniaxial magnetic field sources, respectively on each of the axes of emission of the emitter.
A uniaxial magnetic field source is a source that preferably emits the magnetic field along only one axis. For example, a coil whose turns are wound about a same axis is a uniaxial magnetic field source and the preferred emission axis coincides with the winding axis of the turns.
Similarly, an at least triaxial emitter is an emitter that emits magnetic fields along more than three non-collinear axes.
A triaxial magnetic field sensor is also defined as a sensor capable of measuring the direction of the magnetic field. Typically, to this effect, these sensors measure the amplitude of the projection of the magnetic field on three mutually non-collinear axes of measurement. Thus, these sensors can be used to measure the direction of the magnetic field and, generally, also the amplitude of this magnetic field.